Sheffield, 7 May 2025: Sheffield DocFest celebrates its 32nd edition 18-23 June 2025, and today reveals its full Film Programme and public Talks.
As the UK’s leading documentary festival and one of the world’s most influential markets for documentary projects DocFest champions and presents the breadth of documentary form – film, television, immersive and art – made possible with the huge support of partners, funders and sponsors, including Principal Funders BFI Audience Projects Fund, awarding National Lottery funding, Sheffield City Council and Arts Council England.
The world premiere of Kim Hopkins’ Still Pushing Pineappleswill open Sheffield DocFest 2025 offering audiences a melancholic yet heartfelt look into the story of Dene Michael, the former singer of Black Lace and pop band behind the novelty Brit party favourite ‘Agadoo’. The film follows the lead singer’s journey on the road with his aging mother and his partner, as he aims for a comeback – see previous announcement here.
Mimi Poskitt, Sheffield DocFest Managing Director says: “At Sheffield DocFest, we believe in the power of storytelling to inspire change and create an alternate future. And this is what DocFest 2025’s programme is all about: coming together to learn and be inspired to take action. In planning this year’s edition, we reflected deeply on where we can make a real difference — how, in an environment where filmmakers are facing ever greater challenges, our festival can be a place where documentaries thrive. Thank you to all our funders and partners, old and new for joining us in this endeavour. I’m very proud of the team for shaping this 32nd Edition as one that centres the voices of filmmakers and invites everyone to connect, participate, and feel part of something bigger.”
Councillor Martin Smith, Chair of the Economic Development and Skills Committee at Sheffield City Council, says:“Sheffield DocFest is one of Sheffield’s flagship events and a key date in our cultural calendar. The event proudly puts the city on the world stage. We hope that audiences to the festival are inspired by what Sheffield has to offer through another exciting programme from DocFest – we are incredibly proud to support this globally renowned event in our city.”
Sarah-Jane Meredith, BFI Senior Manager for Audiences Projects, says: “Sheffield DocFest is a hugely important UK festival of international standing which showcases and celebrates the best new documentary films from around the world. For the audiences and industry, it is a unique offer and we are proud to support the Festival to further extend its reach.”
Film Programme
Sheffield DocFest 2025 film programme totals 116 films (82 features and 34 shorts), drawn from over 2753 entries, including 51 World Premieres, 16 International Premieres, 8 European Premieres, 39 UK Premieres from 68 countries of production.
Titles screen in three competition sections – International Competition, International First Feature Competition and International Short Film Competition. In addition to the previously announced Guests of Honour Programme, the festival once again presents its Podcast Stories strand and previews of television series episodes in its First Impressions strand. Further out of competition films screen in six strand sections: Rhythms, Debates, People & Community, Memories, Rebellions and Journeys.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the DocFest MeetMarket, with eight films in the programme having participated in prior MeetMarkets. Drawn from a record number of 610 submissions, the 49 projects in the 2025 selection include new works from renowned directors such as Mila Turajlic, Carola Fuentes, Kathryn Ferguson and Lindsey Dryden, alongside emerging and young talents. This year’s slate includes 17 promising works produced or co-produced in the UK – see previous announcement here.
Raul Niño Zambrano, Sheffield DocFest Creative Director, says: “This year, we’ve brought together some of the most powerful shorts, documentary features, series, podcasts, talks, and immersive works from across the globe to transform the city of Sheffield into a truly unique space where perspectives meet, just as our tagline proudly proclaims. Our 2025 programme delves into urgent, creative, and cutting-edge stories — from activism and climate justice, to queer perspectives and powerful journeys through archival treasures.There’s something for everyone. Join us in Sheffield and let the programme spark conversation, ignite inspiration, and open up new ways of seeing the world.”
Films in Competition & Awards
The line-up for this years’ International Competition comprises eight films, up for the Grand Jury Award for the International Competition, eight films in International First Feature Competition supported by Netflix, and nine films in International Short Film Competition; six documentaries will be considered for the Tim Hetherington Award; six films will be considered by the Youth Jury, and the International Virtual Reality Competition will honour the best virtual reality non-fiction work. Winners will be revealed during an awards ceremony at Crucible Playhouse on Sunday 22 June.
Highlights here and the full programme listings can be found below.
- International Competition – includes Cuba & Alaska (World premiere),in which two female field medics serving on the frontlines of the Ukrainian conflict, codenamed Cuba and Alaska, captures the absurdity of war with a combination of grit, humour and hope; and North South Man Woman (World premiere) a fascinating and often surprising look at love, business and geopolitics asNorth Korean women meet South Korean men.
- International First Feature Competition – includes Redlight to Limelight (World premiere) in which a high-spirited group of Indian sex workers begin making short films to realise their ultimate dream: to transform the red-light district into a professional film hub in a post-pandemic world; and Comparsa (World premiere) in which two fiery sisters in a Guatemalan town channel their grief and anger into a local street performance to protest against gender-based violence.
Strands
Rhythms focuses on music documentaries and performances; Debates features films on wide-ranging important topics which need to be discussed; People & Community includes stories that celebrates togetherness through family, friendship and communities; Journeys includes transformations and explorations. Memories explores how the past informs the present; and Rebellions focuses on stories of people striving for social change and fighting for what matters.
Highlights here and the full programme listings can be found below.
- Rhythms highlights – include PARA VIVIR: The Implacable Time of Pablo Milanés (World Premiere) a deeply personal portrait of Cuban music icon Pablo Milanés. Billy Idol Should Be Dead (International Premiere) features Idol’s family, friends and collaborators as the film reflects on Idol’s tumultuous career, personal life and lasting impact on global popular culture. Directed by Swedish filmmaker and musician Jonas Åkerlun.
- Debates highlights – include Grenfell: Uncovered (World premiere) an investigation into the Grenfell Tower fire, exposing the corruption and failures that turned neglect into a national tragedy, attended by survivors and families; and by renowned filmmaker Marcelo Gomes Creatures of the Mind (International premiere), an hypnotic cinematic journey through dreams, sleep and the unconscious, science meets myth and ancient rituals illuminate the mysteries of the mind.
- People & Community highlights – include Thomas Balmès À demain sur la Lune a poetic reflection on life’s fleeting beauty, a terminally ill woman finds solace in an unlikely companion – a horse that senses the nearness of death; and The Dating Game, while the set-up might sound like a reality game show Violet Du Feng’s portrait of three Chinese bachelors seeking a relationship is a startling account of gender imbalance.
- Journeys highlights – include Alex Craig’s The Loneliest Race (International Premiere) only six sailors have ever completed the Golden Globe Race, Craig’s film thrillingly documents 16 amateur racers navigating the world’s most challenging competition; and Irish video-artist Myrid Carten’s haunting feature debut A Want in Her presents a complex and unflinchingly honest portrait of her relationship with her alcoholic mother.
- Rebellions highlights – include POWER STATION (World Premiere)inspired by the success of lockdown mutual aid initiatives the film tells the story of how artist-activists Hilary Powell and Dan Edelstyn decided to take their London street off the grid; and Mr. Nobody Against Putin in which a primary school teacher in Russia becomes an unlikely whistleblower as he goes undercover to document propaganda and militarisation inside Russia’s school system.
- Memories highlights – include Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror in whichdirector Linus O’Brien, son of The Rocky Horror Picture Show creator Richard O’Brien charts the journey of the sing-along cultural phenomenon, executive produced by Guests of Honour Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato; and directed by Oscar-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, Rock Out (World Premiere) which explores what space exists for Queer in the uncompromising and deeply masculine worlds of heavy metal, punk, and rock & roll.
Films and Conversations
Throughout the festival, seventeen screenings will be followed by extended conversations with special guests. Including:
Heston Blumenthal, one of the world’s greatest chefs will participate in a post-screening Q&A after the World premiere of Heston: My Life with Bipolar, the film follows Heston as he rebuilds his life after being sectioned and diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2023.
Stage and screen star Billy Porter attends as executive producer of I Was Born This Way two Oscar and Emmy-award winning filmmakers Sam Pollard and Daniel Junge celebrate the life of Carl Bean, from his tough childhood through to his musical success and queer rights advocacy.
There’s nowhere on earth quite like Sheffield – Sheffield on Film celebrates the proud history and unique cultural identity of our city. Presented by Graham Relton from the Yorkshire Film Archive.
Films throughout the festival will aim to bring environmental and social issues to the forefront in stories from across the globe. Trailblazer of Indigenous cinema Alanis Obomsawin will present her landmark film Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance, documenting the Kanien’kéhaka resistance to the development of sacred land into a golf course. YANUNI (International premiere) explores a love story and urgent call to action as an Indigenous couple risk everything to defend the Amazon and their unborn child’s future. Our Land (World premiere) pulls two disparate worlds together – as the Right to Roam movement campaigning to increase public access to nature, as 90% of National Parks are under private ownership, finds itself in conflict with England’s aristocratic landowners. Director Hannah Papacek Harperdeveloped Lost For Words in close collaboration with authors Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris, a poetic journey through language and landscape that explores how reconnecting with nature’s vanishing vocabulary can help us reimagine our future with hope. Rock Out (World premiere) explores whether there is, or ever was, a home for Queer in the hyper-masculine, black painted worlds of heavy metal, punk and rock & roll. Tomorrow’s Too Late (World premiere)in whichBritish singer Dylan Holloway’s identity – and voice – transform inthis raw and musical journey through gender transition, loss and self-discovery, followed by a Q&A with director Terry Loane and protagonist Dylan Holloway, who will also perform.
Other film highlights include:
Mystyslav Chernov, the Oscar-winning director of 20 Days in Mariupol, will bring 2000 Meters To Andriivka to Sheffield as the filmfollows a young Ukrainian platoon as they attempt to liberate a strategically vital location from Russian forces. World Premieres include Gaza Sound Man, which is a story told through the lens of sound engineer Mohamed Yaghi, aiming to capture the realities of life on the ground in Palestine before and after 7 October 2023. A Little Gray Wolf Will Come will see journalist Zhanna Agalakova, whose daughter questions her political beliefs, confront her role in Russia’s propaganda campaign and her notions of national pride and identity. The International Premiere of The Panama Canal Treaties – Son of Tiger and Mule is a gripping documentary uncovering the 14-year struggle behind Panama’s reclaiming of its canal and the legacy still shaping global power and national identity.
Podcast Stories
The festival is proud to support and celebrate all mediums of documentary and this year the programme again includes presentations of two live podcast events, welcoming creators for an in-person exploration of essential non-fiction audio narratives.
Podcast Live: Here We Go! The Art of the Football Chant – Sociologist and a lifelong football supporter Les Back reflects on the making of his audio documentary series on football chants for BBC’s Archive on 4.
Podcast Live: Bad Gays – A special live recording of Bad Gays, a podcast all about evil and complicated queer people in history.
TV Series premieres – First Impressions
The festival is thrilled to host four exclusive (World premiere) previews of the first episodes for new documentary series. All events will include a conversation with the creators and special guests.
7/7 Homegrown Terror – On 7 July 2005, terrorist attacks shook London. Twenty years on, this series reveals not just what happened on 7/7, but how and why.
Inside the Jesus Army – It began as a dream of community life, but a 1970s Christian commune soon became a nightmare of abuse, the scale of which is only just coming to light.
Murder in Glitterball City – upcoming HBO series directed by Guests of Honour Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato – A body is found in a mansion in Kentucky. What follows is an exploration of a troubled relationship in a town filled with secrets.
Poisoned – A gripping investigation into the death of a young British man sparks a global hunt for the individual selling hundreds of young people lethal poison.
Alternate Realities Programme
The Alternate Realities exhibition programme at Sheffield DocFest showcases innovative non-fiction and immersive documentaries in all forms, breaking the boundaries of traditional documentary practice and using cutting edge technology – including virtual reality, use of artificial intelligence, video gaming platforms, augmented reality, and interactive web documentaries.
From artist and filmmaker Baff Akoto, this powerful new installation commemorates the potential, personalities and memories of Black and immigrant Britons disproportionately killed after police contact since 1969 Collateral Echoes combines XR, moving image and immersive sound design to present first person testimonies, archival imagery and performance. Including spoken prose from Paapa Essiedu and poetry by the late, great Benjamin Zephania, the exhibition memorialises those killed – and gives voice to the communities who survive them – in this exploration of nostalgia, loss, grievance and joy – see previous announcement here.
In the VR Cinema, Sheffield DocFest brings an international programme of immersive works to Site Gallery for the festival. Selected works include:
DOLLHOUSE for Queer Imaginaries [Queer.Space, Electric South | South Africa 2024]
DOLLHOUSE for Queer Imaginaries reimagines home as a playful, shared VR space where queer communities reshape belonging through creativity, care, and collective imagination.
Speechless Witness of a Wandering Tree [Aphra Taghizadeh, Kyoto Arts Center | Iran, Netherlands 2024]
A haunting VR journey into state violence in Iran, told through the eyes and memories of a protester deliberately blinded during a demonstration.
Impulse: Playing with Reality [Anagram | UK & France 2024]
Narrated by Tilda Swinton, Impulse plunges you into the chaotic brilliance of ADHD—where intensity, creativity, and survival collide in a transformative mixed reality experience.
Walking Alone, Text You When I’m Home [Film University Babelsberg Konrad Wolf | Germany | 2024]
A visceral 360° journey into the everyday reality of sexual harassment, told through personal stories and hauntingly abstract visuals.
Space for Action[Big Anxiety Research Centre UNSW | Australia 2024]
An immersive journey into the hidden reality of domestic abuse, Space for Action gives voice to survivors and the silent systems that failed them.
Talks
Sheffield DocFest will present twelve public talks which will all be held across the city.
Emily Copley, Talks & Sessions Senior Producer, said: “This year’s Talks programme brings together storytellers, cultural icons, and bold new voices who are reshaping how we see the world. From global phenomena and political truth-tellers to activists and artists driving change, these conversations reflect the urgency, diversity, and creativity at the heart of our industry today. We are deeply grateful to all our guests and partners for helping us share these vital perspectives with audiences from around the world who join us in Sheffield.”
Guests of Honour this year are Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato, the co-founders of the pioneering media company World of Wonder (WOW) and award-winning producers and directors of trailblazing films and TV series will attend the festival and present a selection of talks throughout – see previous announcement here.
Bailey and Barbato will participate in four special talks: A Night with Adam and Joe – Adam Buxton and Joe Cornish reunite with Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato to revisit their TV origin story; The Adam and Joe Show. Ronan Farrow: From Podcast to Screen will also see the pair host Pulitzer-prize winning journalist Ronan Farrow in a virtual talk for a rare and revealing conversation. From the World of Wonder Werq Room – Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato lift the lid on their development process—sharing pitches, sizzles, and the challenges of turning bold ideas into commissioned series as well as The WOW Factor: Fenton Bailey & Randy Barbato in Conversation where the World of Wonder founders reflect on a trailblazing career in storytelling, queer culture, and the creation of global pop phenomena.
Broadcaster supported talks include the previously announced BBC Interview with legendary physicist Professor Brian Cox as he reflects on a remarkable career that has seen him bring the wonders of science to millions through television, books, podcasts and live shows. Channel 4 Masterclass will see Oobah Butler discuss his transition from YouTube sensation to acclaimed TV documentarian and what changed, what stayed the same – and whether other creators can follow suit. Award-winning documentary producers Norma Percy and Lucy Hetherington will also talk to journalist and presenter Nina Hossain, sharing insights into how they bring world-shaping political stories to life on screen.
Hosted by renowned filmmaker, campaigner and National Geographic Explorer, Alice Aedy, attendees will meet the visionary women driving real-world change — using storytelling as a tool for activism and community mobilisation. Elsewhere, National Geographic’s Tom McDonald and magician David Blaine will discuss their hit series David Blaine Do Not Attempt and how it reflects National Geographic’s factual strategy.
Actor and documentary director Nyle DiMarco will lead a panel of filmmakers discussing the recent surge of content celebrating deaf experiences and the importance of deaf allies. Also from the award-winning team behind one of the world’s most celebrated radio shows, This American Life, Producer Emmanuel Dzotsi explores how to tell stories about race and immigration in a post-Trump, post-truth America. Finally, there’ll be an evening of comedy and conversation with the Palestine Comedy Club exploring how humour can challenge power, shift narratives, and hold space for difficult truths.
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Sheffield DocFest celebrates its 32nd edition 18-23 June 2025 in the vibrant city of Sheffield at key venues including The Crucible Theatre, Showroom Cinema, Workstation, Curzon Sheffield, The Light, Channing Hall, Site Gallery, Site Studio, and Cutlers’ Hall.
Public tickets are on sale now here.
The festival is committed to offering several Festival screenings and events with access options for people who are D/deaf and hard of hearing. All screenings at the Crucible Theatre will have open captions; and/or will include British Sign Language (BSL) interpretation.
Access details for the full programme are included in individual listings and available in a dedicated access page on the website. Complimentary tickets are available for Personal Assistants, Carers, or sign language interpreters, and must be booked in advance. To view up to date details of our services, including BSL interpretation, relaxed screenings, subtitled and captioned films, please visit www.sheffdocfest.com/attend/accessibility. For any enquiries email access@sheffdocfest.com
The Festival Pass is available from £210 and provides access to the full festival programme of films, exhibitions, talks, panels, industry sessions and live pitches, networking events and parties. Available now here.
Opening Night Film
Still Pushing Pineapples – UK – Kim Hopkins – 2025 (World Premiere) (International Competition)
A melancholic yet heartfelt story of the former singer of pop band Black Lace and his journey on the road with his aging mother and his partner, as he aims for a comeback.
COMPETITIONS
International Competition
Honouring films that best display strong artistic vision and courageous storytelling. This award is Academy Award accredited.
Cuba & Alaska – Yegor Troyanovsky – Ukraine, France, Belgium, 2025 (World Premiere)
Two female medics in Ukraine’s army, whose lives are captured via phone and body-cam footage, navigate the chaos of war with bravery, humour and friendship.
Factory (Gong Chang) – Hao Zhou – Macau, 2025 (World Premiere)
Acclaimed director Hao Zhou journeys into one of China’s vast factories around the time of the pandemic to detail the impact of global supply chains and coercive business practices on workers’ lives.
The Gas Station Attendant – Karla Murthy – USA, 2025 (World Premiere)
A daughter reflects on her South Asian father’s life, his never-ending pursuit of the American dream, and the human capacity to love and survive.
North South Man Woman – Morten Traavik, Sun Kim – Norway, Latvia, South Korea, 2025 (World Premiere)
North Korean women meet South Korean men in a fascinating and often surprising look at love, business and geopolitics.
Shards of Light – Mila Teshaieva, Marcus Lenz – Germany, Ukraine, 2025 (World Premiere)
War has ravaged the Ukrainian city of Bucha, whose residents have endured unimaginable hostility and suffering. If hope remains a faint glimmer, the will to survive still shines through in this powerful and unflinching film.
Still Pushing Pineapples – Kim Hopkins – United Kingdom, 2025 (World Premiere)
A melancholic yet heartfelt story of the former singer of pop band Black Lace and his journey on the road with his aging mother and his partner, as he aims for a comeback.
Welded Together – Anastasya Mirashnichenko, Anastasiya Zinovieva – France, Netherlands, Belgium, 2025 (World Premiere)
A young welder confronts her fractured past to protect her sister, forging a future from sacrifice, resilience and the spark of second chances.
YANUNI – Richard Ladkani – Austria, Brazil, USA, Canada, Germany, 2025 (International Premiere)
In this love story and urgent call to action, an Indigenous couple risk everything to defend the Amazon and their unborn child’s future.
International First Feature Competition (supported by Netflix)
This competition honours the future of non-fiction film and celebrates promising new talent.
Blue Has No Borders – Jessi Gutch – United Kingdom, 2025 (World Premiere)
A young filmmaker is determined to know her neighbours in the port town of Folkestone. But in the aftermath of Brexit, building new relationships isn’t easy.
The Broken R (Rotacismo) – Ricardo Ruales Eguiguren – Ecuador, Italy, 2025 (World Premiere)
This intimate journey about self-acceptance follows Ricardo, a 24-year-old man born with Treacher Collins Syndrome, who has struggled to pronounce the letter R since birth.
Carmela and the Walkers (Carmela y los Caminantes) – Luis Herrera, Esteban Coloma – Ecuador, 2025 (World Premiere)
As the world appears increasingly intolerant of ‘outsiders’, an Ecuadorian woman welcoming
Venezuelan migrants into her home is a moving reminder of our capacity for warmth and humanity.
Comparsa – Vickie Curtis, Doug Anderson – Guatemala, USA, 2025 (World Premiere)
In a Guatemalan town, two fiery sisters channel their grief and anger into a local street performance to protest against gender-based violence in the country.
December (Grudzień) – Grzegorz Paprzycki – Poland, Lithuania, Qatar, 2025 (World Premiere)
Amid December’s festive glow, refugees remain hidden in forests along the Poland-
Belarus border. This powerful documentary gives voice to their silent cries.
A Little Gray Wolf Will Come (Dolazi mali sivi vuk) – Zhanna Agalakova – Croatia, Netherlands, France, 2025 (World Premiere)
On the eve of the war in Ukraine, a Russian journalist from pro-Kremlin TV channel brings her rebellious and Westernized teenage daughter on a journey through Putin’s Russia.
Lullaby For The Mountains (Օրոր Լեռների Համար) – Hayk Matevosyan – Armenia, USA, 2025 (World Premiere)
In this hypnotic odyssey, the ancient monasteries of Armenia’s highlands bear traces of epochs past. Landscapes give way to soundscapes, and the shadowy depths within.
Redlight to Limelight – Bipuljit Basu – India, Finland, Latvia, 2025 (World Premiere)
A high-spirited group of Indian sex workers and their families begin making short films to transform their own lives and inspire others.
International Short Film Competition
This Academy Award, BAFTA and BIFA-accredited award honours the best creative approaches in documentaries under 40 minutes.
Alboroque – Sabrina Fernández Casas – Switzerland, Spain, 2025 (World Premiere)
To protect their villages and restore biodiversity to the landscape of Galicia, a unique collective unites to fight invasive plants and municipal neglect.
Animal Eye – Carlo Nasisse – USA, Costa Rica, 2024 (International Premiere)
Scientists and philosophers confront the limits of their own vision through the eyes of animals.
A Colour I Named Blue (色をこえて青を見る) – Sybilla Patrizia – Japan, 2025 (European Premiere)
Two Japanese indigo dyers embark on an inner journey: one finding his own shade of blue, the other discovering new meaning through his colour blindness.
The Dam (La Presa) – Manuel Ojeda, Cuba, 2025 (World Premiere)
A mysterious fish, rumoured to be three metres long, swims behind a dam. Tingo is obsessed with catching this shadowy creature and proving everyone wrong.
Faith (La Fede) – Antonio Napoli – Italy, 2025 (World Premiere)
According to an ancient Neapolitan proverb, ‘More things happen in a day than in an entire century’. For the city of Naples, that day is today.
From The Mountain We See The Mountain (Desde La Montaña Vemos La Montaña) – Julián García Long – Belgium, 2025 (World Premiere)
In the mist of the Patagonian Andes, an indigenous forest is recovering from a fire, with animals and humans emerging from a landscape scarred by colonisation.
In A Whisper (Dans un Souffle) – Catarina Gonçalves – Portugal, Hungary, Belgium, 2025 (World Premiere)
A breath caught on ice … This film traces the commitment and quiet resilience behind the graceful façade, as figure skater Nina Pinzarrone prepares to perform.
My Name Is Oil – Igor Smola – Azerbaijan, Singapore, 2025 (World Premiere)
On a platform in the middle of the sea, the industrial machinery of an oil rig attempts to send out a warning of an impending catastrophe.
Oscurana – Violeta Mora – Honduras, Hungary, Portugal, Belgium, 2025 (World Premiere)
When darkness falls, the walking begins in this vital, visceral evocation of the experience of migrants undertaking a hazardous journey on foot across the US border.
Youth Jury Award
This award is selected by some of the UK’s most passionate young documentary lovers.
The Dating Game – Violet Du Feng – USA, United Kingdom, Norway, 2025 (UK Premiere)
The set-up might sound like a reality game show, but Violet Du Feng’s portrait of three
Chinese bachelors seeking a relationship is a startling account of gender imbalance.
A Frown Gone Mad (فتنة في الحاجبين) – Omar Mismar – Lebanon, 2024 (UK Premiere)
In a beauty salon in Beirut, clients of all ages rush in to get their Botox injections, while outside its doors, bombings are intensifying.
Katwe – Nima Shirali – Uganda, Sweden, 2025 (International Premiere)
Striking imagery, heartfelt reflection and subtle humour underpins a portrait of a salt-mining community who navigate broken promises of development.
Lowland Kids – Sandra Winther – Denmark, USA, 2025 (International Premiere)
Dubbed the United States’ first climate refugees, the residents of Isle de Jean Charles resettle to higher ground on the mainland to escape rising sea levels.
Runa Simi – Augusto Zegarra – Peru, 2025 (European Premiere)
Fernando, an indigenous voice actor, goes on a quest to dub The Lion King into Quechua, pushing the boundaries set by Hollywood.
The Stand – Christopher Auchter – Canada, 2024 (European Premiere)
This striking archive-footage film follows Haida Nation members staging a peaceful, but resolute, blockade against a logging company, sparking a national debate around indigenous land rights in Canada.
Tim Hetherington Award (presented in association with Dogwoof)
Photojournalist and filmmaker Tim Hetherington was committed to humanitarian and social concerns throughout the world. This award recognises films that best reflect his legacy.
2000 Meters To Andriivka – Mstyslav Chernov – Ukraine, USA, 2025 (UK Premiere)
Mystyslav Chernov, the Oscar-winning director of 20 days in Mariupol, follows a young Ukrainian platoon as they attempt to liberate a strategically vital location from Russian forces.
Colossal (Colosal) – Nayibe Tavares-Abel – Dominican Republic, 2025 (UK Premiere)
When a young filmmaker investigates her grandfather’s work on the 1990 Dominican elections, she uncovers a web of secrets that still ensnares her family.
Gaza Sound Man (غزة.. صوت الحياة والموت) – Hosam Abu Dan, Qatar, Palestine, 2025 (World Premiere)
Through a series of immersive soundscapes, Mohammad Yaghi captures the realities of life on the ground in Palestine before and after 7 October 2023.
A Simple Soldier – Artem Ryzhykov, Juan Camilo Cruz – Ukraine, 2025 (World Premiere)
Award-winning Ukrainian filmmaker and cinematographer Artem Ryzhykov transforms into
a hardened professional soldier as he navigates the confusion, chaos, heartache and reality of modern warfare.
The Stringer – Bao Nguyen – Vietnam, USA, France, 2025 (International Premiere)
A courageous whistleblower prompts an investigation into the true history behind one of the most iconic photographs of the 20th century.
Sudan, Remember Us (Sudan Y’a Ghali) – Hind Meddeb – France, Tunisia, Qatar, 2024 (UK Premiere)
This poetic yet urgent chronicle of Sudan’s youth revolution shows how hope was ignited though through music, murals and the unyielding power of words.
STRANDS
Debates
Films about the things we need to discuss. Covering a wide spectrum of issues, each of the films in this strand grapple with contemporary issues, inviting us to be part of the conversation.
The Alabama Solution – Andrew Jarecki, Charlotte Kaufman, USA, 2025 (International Premiere)
In this jaw-dropping exposé, filmed by inmates, corruption, violence and resistance is rife inside one of America’s deadliest prison systems.
André is an Idiot – Tony Benna – USA, 2025 (European Premiere)
A dying man with a wild sense of humour faces death head on with a sense of curiosity,
creativity and absolutely no filter.
Apocalypse in the Tropics (Apocalipse Nos Trópicos) – Petra Costa, Moara Passoni – Brazil, Denmark, 2024 (UK Premiere)
Acclaimed filmmakers Petra Costa and Moara Passoni expose the volatile clash between religion and freedom in Brazil, revealing how apocalyptic theology fuels the far right and threatens the nation’s fragile democracy.
Creatures of the Mind (Criaturas da Mente) – Marcelo Gomes – Brazil, 2025 (International Premiere)
In this hypnotic cinematic journey through dreams, sleep and the unconscious, science meets myth and ancient rituals illuminate the mysteries of the mind.
Grenfell: Uncovered – Olaide Sadiq – United Kingdom, 2025 (World Premiere)
A forensic investigation into the Grenfell Tower fire, exposing the corruption, failures and cover-ups that turned neglect into a national tragedy.
The Librarians – Kim A. Snyder – USA, 2025 (UK Premiere)
Kim A. Snyder’s urgent film shows how librarians in the US have become unexpected freedom fighters – battling censorship and political extremism to defend the right to read.
Natchez – Suzannah Herbert – USA, 2025 (International Premiere)
Caught between contested narratives on the history of Natchez, Mississippi, elaborate antebellum homes foreground a confrontation between historians, tour guides and cultural groups over the region’s past record on slavery.
Our Land – Orban Wallace – United Kingdom, 2025 (World Premiere)
Through organised ‘mass trespass’ events, the Right to Roam movement sets out to increase public access to nature, but finds itself in conflict with England’s aristocratic landowners..
First Impressions
An opportunity to advance screenings of the first episodes of major upcoming documentary series.
7/7 Homegrown Terror – On 7 July 2005, terrorist attacks shook London. Twenty years on, this series reveals not just what happened on 7/7, but how and why.
Inside the Jesus Army – It began as a dream of community life, but a 1970s Christian commune soon became a nightmare of abuse, the scale of which is only just coming to light.
Murder in Glitterball City – upcoming HBO series directed by Guests of Honour Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato – A body is found in a mansion in Kentucky. What follows is an exploration of a troubled relationship in a town filled with secrets.
Poisoned – A gripping investigation into the death of a young British man sparks a global hunt for the individual selling hundreds of young people lethal poison.
Journeys
From venturing out the front door to exploring a new world – whether it’s physical, emotional, internal or imagined – we take a front seat on a journey of discovery.
Come See Me in the Good Light – Ryan White – USA, 2025 (UK Premiere)
A joyful and lyrical love story of two queer poets navigating life, love and mortality in the face of a terminal cancer diagnosis.
GEN_ – Gianluca Matarrese – France, Italy, Switzerland, 2025 (UK Premiere)
A doctor at a Milan hospital defies political opposition to provide fertility and gender-affirming
care, and in doing so fights for his patients’ right to shape their own futures.
The Loneliest Race – Alexander Craig – Canada, France, South Africa, 2025 (International Premiere)
Racing around the globe alone for 300 days, 16 sailors test their physical and emotional limits in the world’s longest and most daring sporting challenge.
Lowland Kids – Sandra Winther – Denmark, USA, 2025 (International Premiere) (Youth Jury Award)
Dubbed the United States’ first climate refugees, the residents of Isle de Jean Charles resettle to higher ground on the mainland to escape rising sea levels.
NIÑXS – Kani Lapuerta – Mexico, Germany, 2025 (UK Premiere)
Boldly co-authored with its protagonist, NIÑXS follows the journey of teenager Karla, who navigates adolescence as a young transgender person.
The Perfect Neighbor – Geeta Gandbhir – USA, 2025 (UK Premiere)
A minor neighbourhood spat in Florida escalates over two years, with tragic consequences for a close knit community and exposing America’s deep-rooted race issues and gun culture.
Soul of the Desert (Alma del desierto) – Mónica Taboada-Tapia – Colombia, Brazil, 2024 (UK Premiere)
In Mónica Taboada-Tapia’s striking and heartfelt film a transgender Wayúu woman embarks on a journey across the Colombian desert to reclaim her identity, confront her past and fight for justice.
Unwelcomed (Si vas para Chile) – Amilcar Infante, Sebastian Gonzalez M – Chile, 2025 (European Premiere)
In this powerful film, the Venezuelan migration crisis that led to violent anti-immigration protests in Northern Chile shines a light on dangerous social and cultural fissures within a society.
A Want in Her – Myrid Carten – Ireland, United Kingdom, Netherlands, 2025 (UK Premiere)
Irish video-artist Myrid Carten’s haunting feature debut presents a complex and unflinchingly honest portrait of her relationship with her alcoholic mother.
Memories
Exploring how the past informs the present – and the future – these films bring new light to all forms of artefacts, questioning their influence and celebrating their essence.
And She Didn’t Die – Kethiwe Ngcobo – South Africa, Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom, 2025 (World Premiere)
A daughter uncovers her mother’s radical journey from rural South Africa to exile, and how storytelling can become a weapon of resistance and a tool of healing.
Assembly Line Fashionista (杀马特教父杀出工厂流水线后，该杀去何处) – Xue Zhu – China, 2025 (World Premiere)
Luo Fuxing is the ‘godfather’ of Shamate, an alternative Chinese subcultural movement. Two decades into his career he takes on a new challenge: theatre.
Lost For Words – Hannah Papacek Harper – United Kingdom, France, 2025 (UK Premiere)
This poetic journey through language and landscape explores how reconnecting with nature’s vanishing vocabulary can help us reimagine our future with hope.
The Panama Canal Treaties – Son of Tiger and Mule (Hijo de Tigre y Mula) – Annie Canavaggio – Panama, Colombia, 2025 (International Premiere)
A gripping documentary uncovering the 14-year struggle behind Panama’s reclaiming of its canal and the legacy still shaping global power and national identity.
Rock Out – Dustin Lance Black – United Kingdom, USA, Ireland, 2025 (UK Premiere)
In electric, personal and historical ways, this riveting documentary explores whether there is, or ever was, a home for Queer in the hypermasculine, black painted worlds of heavy metal, punk and rock & roll.
The Secret of Me – Grace Hughes-Hallett – United Kingdom, 2025 (UK Premiere)
Like many intersex people, Jim underwent medical interventions early in life. This film traces the fraudulent research that justified such treatment.
Under the Flags, the Sun (Bajo las banderas, el sol) Juanjo Pereira – Paraguay, Argentina, USA, Germany, France, 2025 (UK Premiere)
An archival excavation of Paraguay’s dictatorship, one of modern history’s longest, reveals how authoritarian control was built and how its ghost still haunts the present.
Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror – Linus O’Brien – USA, United Kingdom, New Zealand, 2025 (UK Premiere)
The son of The Rocky Horror Picture Show creator Richard O’Brien charts the journey of the sing-along cultural phenomenon.
People & Community
Celebrating togetherness through family, friendship, communities and togetherness, these films explore the threads that bind us together, the rituals that sustain community and the individuals who open their hearts, minds and homes to the camera.
À demain sur la Lune – Thomas Balmès – France, 2025 (UK Premiere)
In this poetic reflection on life’s fleeting beauty, a terminally ill woman finds solace in an unlikely companion – a horse that senses the nearness of death.
A Frown Gone Mad – Omar Mismar – Lebanon, 2024 (UK Premiere) (Youth Jury Award)
In a beauty salon in Beirut, clients of all ages rush in to get their Botox injections, while outside its doors, bombings are intensifying.
Casas Muertas – Rosana Matecki – Venezuela, Ecuador, Canada, 2025 (International Premiere)
The Venezuelan crisis resulted in a mass exodus by its population. This lyrical film focuses on five who have remained, who are burdened with a sense loss and the ghost of a fractured nation.
Coexistence, My Ass! – Amber Fares – USA, France, 2025 (UK Premiere)
Comedian Noam Shuster Eliassi turns satire into resistance, employing humour to expose hard truths about the relationship between Israel and Palestine – where coexistence feels like a bad joke.
The Dating Game – Violet Du Feng – USA, United Kingdom, Norway, 2025 (UK Premiere) (Youth Jury Award)
The set-up might sound like a reality game show, but Violet Du Feng’s portrait of three
Chinese bachelors seeking a relationship is a startling account of gender imbalance.
Heston: My Life with Bipolar – Joe Myerscough – United Kingdom, 2025 (World Premiere)
Chef Heston Blumenthal explores the impact bipolar disorder has had on his life, his creativity and the people he loves.
How to Build a Library – Christopher King, Maia Lekow – Kenya, USA, 2025 (UK Premiere)
Three libraries. Two friends. One Mission: Shiro and Wachuka set off on an obstacle course to reestablish three county libraries as modern spaces
Katwe – Nima Shirali – Uganda, Sweden, 2025 (International Premiere) (Youth Jury Award)
Striking imagery, heartfelt reflection and subtle humour underpins a portrait of a salt-mining community who navigate broken promises of development.
Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore – Shoshannah Stern – USA, 2025 (UK Premiere)
An intimate profile of trailblazing actress Marlee Matlin, who was thrust into the limelight in 1987 when she became the first Deaf actor – and youngest Best Actress nominee – to win an Academy Award.
Rebellions (supported by Bertha Foundation)
Stories of people striving for social change and fighting for what matters. From politics, gender equality and issues around identity to human rights and the climate crisis, these films highlight cinema’s role as both witness and a tool in the fight for change.
Dreamers – People of Light (Xəyalpərəstlər — İşıq İnsanları) – Imam Hasanov – Azerbaijan, 2025 (World Premiere)
In Sheki, a remote town in Azerbaijan, former footballer Mamed dreams of organising
the country’s first all-female football team.
I Died (Li cham) – Ana Ts’uyeb – Mexico, 2024 (UK Premiere)
Three Mexican women turn to the land to rebuild their lives, following the loss of babies and family members to patriarchal violence.
Life At 50°C: Australia (working title) Chris Phillips – Australia, United Kingdom (World Premiere)
From BBC’s Life At 50°C strand, which looks at lives on the frontline of climate change, the film is set in Australia’s coal country.
Mr. Nobody Against Putin – David Borenstein – Czech Republic, Denmark, 2025 (UK Premiere)
A primary school teacher in Russia becomes an unlikely whistleblower as he goes undercover to document propaganda and militarisation inside Russia’s school system.
My Dear Théo (З любов’ю з фронту) – Alisa Kovalenko – Ukraine, Poland, Czech Republic, 2025 (UK Premiere)
A mother, filmmaker and volunteer Ukrainian soldier offers up a testament to the power of love in a time of war, conveyed through letters to her young son.
POWER STATION – Hilary Powell, Dan Edelstyn – United Kingdom, 2025 (World Premiere)
Two artists in Walthamstow set out to take their street off the grid, kickstarting a solar-powered energy revolution.
A State of Passion – Carol Mansour, Muna Khalidi – Lebanon, Jordan, United Kingdom, Palestine, Kuwait, 2024 (UK Premiere)
A powerful account of a British-Palestinian surgeon who has become a vital witness to the devastation wreaked by Israel’s bombing of Gaza.
Writing Hawa (La vie de Hawa) – Najiba Noori, Rasul Noori – France, Netherlands, Qatar, Afghanistan, 2024 (UK Premiere)
In this powerful and inspiring film, an Afghan filmmaker documents repression by the Taliban and resistance to it across three generations of females in her family.
Runa Simi – Augusto Zegarra – Peru, 2025 (European Premiere) (Youth Jury Award)
Fernando, an indigenous voice actor, goes on a quest to dub The Lion King into Quechua, pushing the boundaries set by Hollywood.
The Stand – Christopher Auchter – Canada, 2024 (European Premiere) (Youth Jury Award)
This striking archive-footage film follows Haida Nation members staging a peaceful, but resolute, blockade against a logging company, sparking a national debate around indigenous land rights in Canada.
Rhythms
Focuses on music documentaries and performances. A collection of documentaries in which movement, bodies and songs take the main stage.
Billy Idol Should Be Dead – Jonas Åkerlund – United Kingdom, Canada, USA, Mexico, 2025 (UK Premiere)
In this entertaining film, rock icon Billy Idol, his family, friends and collaborators reflect on his tumultuous career, personal life and lasting impact on global popular culture.
A Century in Sound – Nicholas Dwyer, Tuataroa Rapana Neill – Japan, 2024 (UK Premiere)
The history of Japan is told through their unique music cafes, where audiophiles meet to listen to the music they love.
Dreaming of You – James Slater – United Kingdom, 2025 (World Premiere)
Emerging from a wild, working-class dreamscape of friendship, fame and fuzzy guitars, this is the story of six Wirral teens who became The Coral and shook the British indie scene.
I Was Born This Way – Sam Pollard, Daniel Junge – USA, 2025 (European Premiere)
Two Oscar and Emmy award-winning filmmakers celebrate the life of Carl Bean, from his tough childhood through to his musical success and groundbreaking queer rights advocacy.
Move Ya Body: The Birth of House – Elegance Bratton – USA, 2025 (UK Premiere)
A celebration of the new sound that emerged from the underground clubs of Chicago’s South Side, which sparked a global movement of joy, freedom and radical togetherness.
PARA VIVIR: The Implacable Time of Pablo Milanés – Fabien Pisani – Mexico, Spain, USA, 2025 (World Premiere)
A deeply personal portrait of Cuban music icon Pablo Milanés, captured in self-imposed exile during his final years.
Shapeshifting – Yamen Mekdad, Juline Hadaya – Syria, 2025 (World Premiere)
A fascinating film that combines archival footage and intimate encounters with 14 artists to present a meditation on a collective Syrian psyche that has been forged through a decade of conflict.
Tomorrow’s Too Late – Terry Loane – United Kingdom, 2025 (World Premiere)
A singer’s voice – and identity – transform in this raw and musical journey through gender transition, loss and self-discovery.
Short Film Programmes
This Academy Award, BAFTA and BIFA-accredited award honours the best creative approaches in documentaries under 40 minutes.
Shorts: All We See is Light:
Animal Eye – Carlo Nasisse – USA, Costa Rica, 2024 (International Premiere) (International Short Film Competition)
Scientists and philosophers confront the limits of their own vision through the eyes of animals.
A Colour I Named Blue (色をこえて青を見る) – Sybilla Patrizia – Japan, 2025 (European Premiere) (International Short Film Competition)
Two Japanese indigo dyers embark on an inner journey: one finding his own shade of blue, the other discovering new meaning through his colour blindness.
No Mean City – Ross McClean – United Kingdom, 2025 (UK Premiere)
Three workmen drive through the city at night, replacing old sodium streetlights with LEDs. Beneath their glow, the city grapples with change.
My Name is Oil – Igor Smola – Azerbaijan, Singapore, 2025 (World Premiere) (International Short Film Competition)
On a platform in the middle of the sea, the industrial machinery of an oil rig attempts to send out a warning of an impending catastrophe.
Orbits (Orbites) – Sarah Seené – Canada, 2025 (International Premiere)
Through a constellation of analogue images and soothing sounds, Orbits journeys into the sensorial depths of Marie-Christine, a woman who has lost her sight.
Shorts: The Art of Movement:
AKI – David Buitrón Fernández – Mexico, 2025 (World Premiere)
As the years go by, it gets harder for dancer and theatre director Aki to live an artistic life. But against the odds, she perseveres.
Alice – Gabriel Novis – Brazil, USA, 2024 (European Premiere)
Under the Brazilian sun and awash with the sounds of the sea, surfer Alice arises from waves of bigotry to live a joyful life as a trans woman.
Just Jools – Ezra Verbist – Belgium, 2025 (UK Premiere)
Twelve-year-old Jools dreams of dancing with self-confidence. With the help of a choreographer, she learns to shake off the gaze of others and dance freely.
In a Whisper (Dans un Souffle) – Catarina Gonçalves – Portugal, Hungary, Belgium (World Premiere) (International Short Film Competition)
A breath caught on ice … This film traces the commitment and quiet resilience behind the graceful façade, as figure skater Nina Pinzarrone prepares to perform.
Shorts: Building a Home:
Beyond Eden – Al Johnstone – United Kingdom, USA, 2025 (UK Premiere)
In the 1970s, lesbians across the US moved to untamed landscapes to build a world without men. Beyond Eden follows some of the original Land Dykes.
Fear Nothing (Fear Fokol) – Tuva Björk – Sweden, 2025 (UK Premiere)
A night ride into the fears and anxieties of Johannesburg’s wealthy inhabitants, seen through the work of the private security guards hired to protect them.
How Now, House? – Tess Martin – Netherlands, 2025 (European Premiere)
The boundaries between past, present and future blur as a shared house becomes the focal point of a hypnotic meditation on the passing of time.
Our Existence is a Miracle (我们的存在就是奇迹) – Yajun Hu – United Kingdom, China, 2024 (World Premiere)
In rural China, there is a care home where, despite tough circumstances, disabled people are truly supported to build their lives together.
Shorts: The Future is Unwritten:
Cat Rong Po (Mao Rong Po) – Shaojun Wang, Sebastian Molina Ruiz – China, Hungary, Mexico, Belgium, 2025 (World Premiere)
Liu Liu is living in a strange new land. While his mother looks after the shop, he goes exploring. Encountering a ghost monster, a fierce battle begins.
The Dam (La Presa) – Manuel Ojeda – Cuba, 2025 (World Premiere) (International Short Film Competition)
A mysterious fish, rumoured to be three metres long, swims behind a dam. Tingo is obsessed with catching this shadowy creature and proving everyone wrong.
The Footnote (Lun Ji Wei Lai Shi) – Xiang Fu – Macau, Portugal, 2025 (World Premiere)
In 2023, as China gradually lifts its COVID-19 restrictions, a female pharmacist navigates the desolate city in this pivotal post-pandemic moment.
Space to Breathe – Juicebox P. Burton – USA, 2025 (World Premiere)
Happy Abolition Day! The last prison in the USA has just been closed under the 2036 Reparations and Reconciliation Act. How did we get here?
Shorts: The Great Beyond:
Bird, Bat or Butterfly – Filippo Filliger – Switzerland, 2024 (International Premiere)
In a quiet Yucatán village, a boy seeks the truth in a shaman’s tale, entering a cave where myth, childhood and cosmic wonder entwine.
Caught in the Net (Presos na Rede) – Nuno Alves de Lima – Portugal, 2025 (International Premiere)
A stunning, poetic dive to the depths of the ocean floor, guided by the humans who both adore and destroy it.
Faith (La Fede) – Antonio Napoli – Italy, 2025 (World Premiere) (International Short Film Competition)
According to an ancient Neapolitan proverb, ‘More things happen in a day than in an entire century’. For the city of Naples, that day is today.
Shorts: Resistance:
2mm – Mona Jelic – Switzerland, 2024 (UK Premiere)
In rural Serbia, disembodied voices fight for the future of the land while an unblinking camera bears witness to a spiralling eco-culture war.
Alboroque – Sabrina Fernández Casas – Switzerland, Spain, 2025 (World Premiere) (International Short Film Competition)
To protect their villages and restore biodiversity to the landscape of Galicia, a unique collective unites to fight invasive plants and municipal neglect.
From The Mountain We See The Mountain (Desde La Montaña Vemos La Montaña) – Julián García Long – Belgium, 2025 (World Premiere) (International Short Film Competition)
In the mist of the Patagonian Andes, an indigenous forest is recovering from a fire, with animals and humans emerging from a landscape scarred by colonisation.
In the Wake of Remembering – Sara Saini – United Kingdom, 2025 (UK Premiere)
Three women reflect on their memories of supporting the Burnsall Strike, a 1992 workers’ resistance movement in Birmingham that was led by Punjabi women.
The Rock Speaks – Francois Knoetze, Amy Louise Wilson – South Africa, Congo-Kinshasa, 2024 (UK Premiere)
Born in the heart of heavy stars, cobalt mineral is extracted and joins a rising chorus of resistance against dehumanisation in this hybrid AI documentary.
Shorts: Spaces Between:
Marseille, July 14th (Marseille, 14 Juillet) – El Mahdi Lyoubi – France, 2025 (UK Premiere)
Marseille erupts in joy as Algeria wins the Africa Cup of Nations. Celebrations, urban tensions and colonial echoes shape a night of pride.
We Were The Scenery – Christopher Radcliff – USA, Vietnam, Philippines, 2025 (UK Premiere)
After fleeing the Vietnam war, Hoa Thi Le and Hue Nguyen Che, along with 100 other refugees, are enlisted as background extras for Apocalypse Now.
Oscurana – Violeta Mora – Honduras, Hungary, Portugal, 2025 (World Premiere) (International Short Film Competition)
When darkness falls, the walking begins in this vital, visceral evocation of the experience of migrants undertaking a hazardous journey on foot across the US border.
A History of Sadness (تاریخچه غم) – Layla Tosifi – Canada, 2024 (International Premiere)
Exploring a complex mother-daughter bond, this film traces three generations of Iranian women: a grandmother, mother and daughter.
Bloodline – Wojciech Węglarz – Poland, 2024 (UK Premiere)
A bison, prevented from returning to its native herd by a wall on the Polish-Belarusian border, witnesses dramatic events.
Shorts: Where We Find Ourselves
Antigona – Iber Deari, Mirsad Abazi – North Macedonia, 2025 (World Premiere)
In rural North Macedonia, a determined woman begins a quiet revolution. Inheriting her father’s job as a van driver, she opens new possibilities for the women around her.
Self-portrait at 13 (Autorretrato a los 13) – Oscar X. Illingworth – Ecuador, 2025 (World Premiere)
Partly the video diary of a 13-year-old boy, partly a mother’s recordings of her news broadcasts, this is a fully original, delirious and energetic snapshot of Ecuadorian identity.
A Story Left Behind (Sheeko Laga Tagay) – Asma Kabadeh – United Kingdom, 2025 (World Premiere)
A researcher discovers the fragmented stories of the first Somali woman in Sheffield. Resurrecting her memory, the film questions whose stories get told and who gets to tell them.
who will be remembered here – Michael Sherrington, CJ Mahony, Lewis Hetherington – Scotland, 2025 (World Premiere)
Challenging the dominant histories of Scotland, this tender work invites us to listen to the landscape — hearing echoes of the marginalised voices we have been made to forget.
Alternate Realities Exhibition
This programme combines advances in technology with creativity and imagination to find new ways of exploring non-fiction. The Alternate Realities Award honours the best innovative non-fiction work.
Collateral Echoes – Baff Akoto
Combining XR, moving image and immersive sound design to present first-person testimonies, archival imagery and performance. Including spoken prose from Paapa Essiedu and poetry by the late, great Benjamin Zephaniah, the exhibition memorialises those killed – and gives voice to the communities who survive them – in this exploration of nostalgia, loss, grief and joy.
Virtual Reality Cinema
Don’t miss our Virtual Reality Cinema! Make sure you visit Site Gallery’s Studio for a cinema experience like no other. Immerse yourself in boundary-pushing stories, from explorations of ADHD and protest movements, to a haunting, climate crisis-fuelled vision of the future. Come and interact with our exciting selection of bold VR pieces! The 2025 VR Cinema includes:
DOLLHOUSE for Queer Imaginaries [Queer.Space, Electric South | South Africa 2024]
A love story about home—who gets to make it and occupy it. ‘DOLLHOUSE for Queer Imaginaries’ is a multi-user VR project which invites a community to refigure the home through the act of play.
Speechless Witness of a Wandering Tree [Aphra Taghizadeh, Kyoto Arts Center | Iran, Netherlands 2024]
Using audio archive and VR, this project addresses the phenomenon of deliberate blinding of women as an act of oppression throughout Iranian history.
Impulse: Playing with Reality [Anagram, Floréal, France Télévisions | UK & France 2024]
Narrated by Tilda Swinton, this ground-breaking mixed reality enables you to witness the chaos, creativity, and intensity of ADHD.
Walking Alone, Text You When I’m Home [Film University Babelsberg Konrad Wolf | Germany | 2024]
An immersive documentary that explores the impact of everyday sexual harassment through personal stories and abstract visuals.
Space for Action [Big Anxiety Research Centre UNSW | Australia 2024]
Evoking the physical sensations and feelings of entrapment, grooming and gaslighting – Space for Action amplifies the voices of survivors of family and domestic violence.
Talks
A Night with Adam and Joe
BBC Interview: A conversation with Professor Brian Cox
The Changemakers with Alice Aedy
Channel 4 Masterclass with Oobah Butler
David Blaine x Nat Geo: Bringing the Magic to Factual
The Future is Signed: How to Be a Good Deaf Ally
Is it OK to Laugh? Behind the Scenes of Palestine Comedy Club
Norma Percy & Lucy Hetherington In Conversation with Nina Hossain
Ronan Farrow in Conversation: From Podcast to Screen
This American Life: Chasing the Moving Window
The WOW Factor: Fenton Bailey & Randy Barbato in Conversation
Podcast Stories live events
Podcast Live: Bad Gays
Podcast Live: Here We Go! The Art of the Football Chant
Films + Conversations (details above)
Murder in Glitterball City
Grenfell: Uncovered
Heston: My Life with Bipolar
Inside The Jesus Army
7/7: Homegrown Terror
Our Land
Lost For Words
Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance
Rock Out
Sheffield on Film
I Was Born This Way
Tomorrow’s Too Late
Cuba & Alaska
YANUNI
POWER STATION
Poisoned
Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror
